Adjustment device for end label unit



F. L. WAlTE Dec. 26, 1967 ADJUSTMENT DEVICE FOR END LABEL UNIT Filed June 30, 1965 INVENTOR.

FRED L WAITE United States Patent 3,359,828 ADJUSTMENT DEVICE FOR END LABEL UNIT Fred L. Waite, 1435 Bedford St.,

Stamford, Conn. 06905 Filed June 30, 1965, Ser. No. 468,401 4 Claims. (Cl. 74-675) This invention relates in general to units which apply end labels to wrapped bakery goods, such as loaves of bread and, more particularly, to an adjustment device for such end label units.

An object of the invention is to provide an adjustment device which will allow end labels to be positioned on bakery goods without stopping the end label unit applying the end labels to bakery goods.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustment device comprising a differential which adjusts the positioning of end labels being applied to bakery goods without stopping the unit applying the end labels to the bakery goods, the adjustment device being longer lastings, more rugged, more easily maintained, and more easily installed.

Many other objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the particular construction, combination, and arrangement of parts involved in my invention and its practice otherwise as may be understood from the following description and accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through an adjustment device according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a front view of the adjustment device shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a conventional end labeling unit (not shown) has a frame, a fragment of which is designated by the reference numeral 10. Frame contains a bearing 11 within which the hollow tubular driven shaft 12 rotates. Drive shaft 13 extends through the driven shaft 12. A clamping device (not shown) is, in the absence of my invention, provided to allow drive shaft 13 to be fixed to driven shaft 12. To properly center end labels on wrapped bakery goods when this conventional clamping device is used, the end label unit has to be stopped and the relative rotation of shafts 12 and 13 adjusted.

Referring further to FIGS. 1 and 2, the adjustment device of my invention consists of a back plate 14 which is fixed to the frame 10 of the end labeling unit by means of a threaded stud 15 and a nut 16 which are on the end label unit shut-01f assembly. A cover 17 is fixed to back plate 14 by means of the screws 18.

Drive shaft 13 has a collar 19 fixed to its outer end by means of a set screw 20 and a key 21. Also disposed within collar 19 is the drive shaft extension 22 which is rotatably secured in the bearing 23 which is mounted in an aperture formed in boss 24 of cover 17. Collar 19 has fixed to it a spur gear 25 which is a 24 pitch 36 tooth gear. A pair of 16 tooth pinions 26 mesh with spur gear 25. The pinions 26 are rotatably mounted on the headed shafts 27 which are secured in the bosses 28 of the cover 17 by means of pins 29.

The pinions 26 drive a 24 pitch 36 tooth spur gear 30. Gear 30 is fixed to a 24 tooth bevel gear 31 which is rotatably mounted on shaft 32 by means of the bearing 33. Shaft 32 is rotatably mounted in the back plate 14 and the cover 17 by means of the bearings 35 and 34, respectively.

A second bevel gear 36 is rotatably mounted on shaft 32 by means of bearing 37. Bevel gear 36 has a 20 pitch 40 tooth spur gear 38 mounted on it. Spur gear 38 meshes with the 20 pitch 40 tooth spur gear 39 which is fixed to the split ring 40 by means of screws 41. A bolt or screws 42 clamps the split ring 40 about the driven shaft 12. Split ring 40 extends within an opening 43 formed in back plate 14.

A transition piece 44 is fixed transversely across shaft 32 by means of the roll pins 45. A pair of headed shafts 46 each rotatably mount a 12 tooth bevel gear pinion 47 by means of a bearing 48. The shafts 46 are secured in transition piece 44 by means of the pins 49.

Thus it may be seen that drive shaft 13 rotates collar 19 and thereby spur gear 25 to drive pinions 26 and thereby spur gear 30. Spur gear 30 rotates bevel gear 31 to drive bevel gear 36 in the opposite direction by means of the bevel gear pinions 47. Bevel gear 36 has spur gear 38 attached to it to drive spur gear 39 and thereby the driven shaft 12 of the end label unit. Since gears 38 and 30 rotate in opposite directions, the pinions 26 reverse the direction of drive so that the driven shaft 12 rotates in the same direction and at the same speed as the drive shaft 13.

If it is desired to rotate shaft 12 relative to shaft 13 to center end labels on wrapped bakery goods, the knurled knob 50 is rotated. Knob 50 is mounted on shaft 51 which is rotatably mounted in the lugs 52 projecting from cover 17. Shaft 51 carries the worm 53 which engages the worm wheel 54. Worm Wheel 54 is fixed to shaft 32 and thus rotates it. Therefore, when knob 50 is rotated, it rotates shaft 32 to change the relative positions of shafts 12 and 13 by advancing or retarding one shaft relative to the other. Since the adjustment device of my invention acts through a differential, the end label unit need not be stopped when making an adjustment.

When a large spur gear 25 drives a single smaller pinion 26, there will be greater wear on the smaller pinion 26. For this reason, two pinions 26 are provided to share the load and reduce wear while increasing the efliciency of the drive. The pinions 26 also serve to reverse the drive a first time so that the second reversal of the drive by the bevel gear pinions 47 will result in the shafts 12 and 13 being driven in the same direction. To reduce wear of the bevel gear pinions 47, two pinions 47 are provided.

Since the drive and the driven parts are totally enclosed within cover 17, the adjustment device of my invention may be thoroughly lubricated without contaminating or being contaminated by a bakery environment.

While this invention has been shown and described in the best form known, it will nevertheless be understood that this is purely exemplary and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention except as it may be more limited in the appended claims wherein I claim:

1. An adjustment device for use on an end label unit having a tubular driven shaft and a drive shaft extending through said driven shaft, said adjustment device having a housing into which said drive and said driven shafts extend, a first spur gear attached to said drive shaft, at least one pinion driven by said first spur gear, a differential shaft rotatably journalled in said housing, a second spur gear driven by said at least one pinion, a first bevel gear fixed to said second spur gear, said second spur gear and said first bevel gear being rotatably mounted on said differential shaft, a third spur gear, a second bevel gear fixed to said third spur gear, said third spur gear and said second bevel gear being rotatably mounted on said differential shaft, a transition piece fixed to said differential shaft between said bevel gears, at least one bevel gear pinion meshing with said bevel gears and being rotatably mounted on said transition piece, a fourth spur gear mounted on said driven shaft and meshing with said third spur gear, and adjustment means rotatably positioning said differential shaft in said housing.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said dilferential shaft extends outside said housing and wherein said adjustment means comprises a worm Wheel fixed to said differential shaft outside said housing, a worm rotatably mounted outside said housing engaging said worm wheel, and an adjustment knob attached to said worm to rotate said worm and thereby rotatably position said differential shaft.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein there are two pinions driven by said first spur gear to drive said second spur gear and wherein there are at least two 'bevel gear pinions rotatably mounted on said transition piece meshing with said bevel gears.

4. The combination according to claim 3 with the addition of a collar fixed to and extending beyond the end of said drive shaft, said first spur gear being fixed to said collar, and with the addition of a split ring clamped about said driven shaft, said fourth spur gear being fixed to said split ring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 322,796 7/ 1885 Coffield 74705 772,349 10/1904 Farnsworth 28752 1,436,032 11/ 1922 Greer 28752 1,657,937 1/1928 R-aines 74-674 1,787,930 1/ 1931 Fletcher 74675 1,839,354 1/1932 Spath 74675 1,948,709 2/ 1934 Hackethal' 74675 2,104,582 1/1938 Carlson 74675 2,392,556 1/1946 Seppeler 74--675 3,139,296 6/1964 Greene 28752 FOREIGN PATENTS 79,7 35 1/ 1920 Austria; 807,184 1/ 1937 France.

DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

ARTHUR T. MCKEON, Examiner.

I. R. BENEFIEL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ADJUSTMENT DEVICE FOR USE ON AN END LABEL UNIT HAVING A TUBULAR DRIVEN SHAFT AND A DEVICE SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID DRIVEN SHAFT, SAID ADJUSTMENT DEVICE HAVING A HOUSING INTO WHICH SAID DRIVE AND SAID DRIVEN SHAFTS EXTEND, A FIRST SPUR GEAR ATTACHED TO SAID DRIVE SHAFT, A LEAST ONE PINION DRIVEN BY SAID FIRST SPUR GEAR, A DIFFERENTIAL SHAFT ROTATABLY JOURNALLED IN SAID HOUSING, A SECOND SPUR GEAR DRIVEN BY SAID AT LEAST ONE PINION, A FIRST BEVEL GEAR FIXED TO SAID SECOND SPUR GEAR, SAID SECOND SPUR GEAR AND SAID FIRST BEVEL GEAR BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID DIFFERENTIAL SHAFT, A THIRD SPUR GEAR, A SECOND BEVEL GEAR 